DSWD to launch system vs. proliferation of fake PWD IDs

FILE: FOOD STAMPS. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian speaks during a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday (July 15, 2023). Gatchalian said the DSWD would pilot the Marcos administration’s food stamp program on July 18, starting with 50 food-poor families in Tondo, Manila. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald Alfiler)

By Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has joined the government’s campaign against the proliferation of fake identification cards (IDs) of persons with disabilities (PWDs) through the creation of a unified ID system that can be used by the business establishments for real-time updating and ID verification.

The use of a unified ID system that will employ a web-based portal was among the resolutions of the roundtable discussion with stakeholders presided over by Secretary Rex Gatchalian at the DSWD’s Central Office in Quezon City on Dec. 11.

“The creation of a unified ID system which will employ a web-based portal will be launched the soonest,” Gatchalian said as quoted in a news release on Monday.

While in the process of creating the system, Gatchalian urged the public to report incidents involving the sale of fake PWD IDs to the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), an attached agency of the DSWD, through council@ncda.gov.ph, to the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), or any law enforcement agency.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has also launched a national crackdown against the sale and use of fake persons with disability IDs as revenue losses from this type of tax evasion scheme already reached over PHP88 billion.

Under the law, PWDs’ benefits include a 20 percent discount and an exemption from value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services.

Unscrupulous persons, however, have exploited this system by selling fake PWD IDs to those fraudulently seeking to claim these benefits.

These fake IDs are not only sold on the streets but also through online marketplaces, making them easily accessible, according to the BIR.

The DSWD on Monday issued a stern warning against those who continue to perpetuate the illegal issuance, selling, and use of fake PWDs identification cards.

“We are urging the public to report individuals involved in the issuance and sale of fake persons with disabilities ID cards, which aim to fraudulently access benefits and privileges intended for persons with disabilities. Falsifying public documents and using fake documents are criminal offenses punishable under the Revised Penal Code,” DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.

Under the NCDA’s Administrative Order No. 001, Series of 2008, PWD IDs are exclusively issued to individuals with permanent disabilities caused by one or more of the following conditions: speech impairment, learning disability, intellectual disability, mental disability, visual disability, psychosocial disability, physical disability, deaf and hard-of-hearing, cancer and rare diseases.

The NCDA’s administrative order includes individuals with disabling diseases that significantly limit their ability to perform daily activities.

Persons with disabilities IDs are issued exclusively by the PDAO of every city and municipality nationwide.

There must be appropriate documentation confirming the medical or disability condition of a person applying for a PWD ID, Dumlao said.

The documents for ID issuance may be any of the following: apparent disability medical certificate issued by a licensed private or government physician; school assessment issued by a licensed teacher and duly signed by the school principal; or a certificate of disability issued by the head of the business establishment or head of the non-government organization (NGO).

On the other hand, those with non-apparent disability must secure a non-apparent disability certificate from a licensed private or government physician.